In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a lesser number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘FIRE TIME’.
The present variety was hybridized by me in 2004 as a first generation cross using ‘Western Pride’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,888) nectarine as the selected seed parent and ‘Grand Bright’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,494) nectarine as the selected pollen parent. The fruit of this cross was gathered that summer, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2007 I selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘Western Pride’ nectarine, by producing nectarines that are firm, large in size, and acidic in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is clingstone instead of freestone, that has a higher degree of red skin color, and that matures about one week later.
The present variety is similar to its pollen parent, ‘Grand Bright’ nectarine, by producing nectarines that are nearly full red in skin color, clingstone in type, firm in texture, and acidic in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that matures about three weeks later.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Summer Fire’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,506) nectarine by producing nectarines that are nearly full red in skin color, clingstone in type, acidic in flavor, and large in size, but is distinguished therefrom by having a large instead of small blossom, by being more productive, and by producing fruit that matures about 5 days later.